Review: Flow Mountain Bike - Fox Transfer Neo Dropper Post

Flow Mountain Bike has reviewed the Fox Transfer Neo Seatpost. Here is what they had to say:

Get excited lovers of all things high-tech, because the Fox Transfer Neo is here! A brand new wireless dropper post, the Transfer Neo arrives as the long-awaited response to the RockShox Reverb AXS. Sure it may be five years behind its main competitor, but Fox is boasting a number of important wins including more travel, a lower stack height, greater tyre clearance and faster actuation. Of course it also comes with that blingy Kashima gold coating too.

What exactly sets it apart and what’s it like to use? We managed to get our dirty mitts on a couple of Transfer Neo droppers prior to the official launch to see why Fox is so excited about its first electronic dropper post.

An overview of the Fox Transfer Neo The Fox Transfer Neo comes hot on the heels of the launch of the mechanical Transfer dropper post that was launched earlier this year. Structurally speaking, the two share a lot in common including the twin-bolt saddle clamp, updated IFP, adjustable air spring and metal-backed Ekanol bushings. As a result the Transfer Neo features the same super-light action and it’s designed to be easier to service than previous Transfers.

Available in 30.9, 31.6 and 34.9mm diameters, the Transfer Neo offers up to 200mm of travel. While it trumps the Reverb, it does falls short of the mechanical Transfer’s 240mm travel option. According to Fox, this was as much as it could physically fit in with the current cartridge design. Perhaps we’ll see a longer version in the future, but for the time being if you want a 240mm dropper from Fox it’ll have to be cable-activated.

Speedy wireless activation

Obviously it’s the wireless activation that represents the most intriguing aspect of the Fox Transfer Neo. Sure, electronic components aren’t every mountain biker’s cup of tea, but we’ll admit that we’re suckers for the ease of use and clean cockpit they provide. And because a wireless dropper is so easy to remove and install, it’s entirely possible to share the one post between multiple bikes, going some way to justify the higher cost over a cable-activated dropper.

The speedy action is also a key advantage of going electronic. Fox developed its own wireless protocol for the Transfer Neo, which is claimed to be 100x faster than Bluetooth. This reduces the lag between pressing the remove lever and activating the post so the saddle starts moving faster. How fast? 26 milliseconds according to Fox, or about five times faster than it takes for the average human eye to blink. Holy moley!

Rechargeable battery

Powering the tiny 7V motor is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that sits within the main control unit at the top of the post’s outer tube. The battery is Fox’s own design and is specific to the Transfer Neo. However, hidden in the press release is a line that states it also offers ‘compatibility for future Neo products’. We’ll leave you to speculate on that one…

The control unit is most definitely in the firing line of muddy spray from the rear tyre, though thick rubber seals around the terminals and underneath the battery help to provide a very snug fit when locking the battery in place. Fox states the Transfer Neo has received an IPX7 waterproof rating, which is for the entire post and not just the electronic controller.

The Neo remote

Included with the Transfer Neo dropper post is the matching electronic remote lever. Housing a CR2032 coin cell battery and the necessary electronic gubbins, it’s designed to mimic the ergonomics and position of the mechanical Transfer remote. The paddle is smaller though, and the shorter throw means you can rotate it further underneath the bar to keep it tucked out of harms way.

There has clearly been a lot of attention paid to the actuator itself, which features plenty of haptic feedback thanks to a robust return spring and a defined ‘click’ that gives it a mechanical feel. Along with the textured rubber paddle, the Neo remote is an absolute pleasure to use.

Fox includes a standalone bar clamp with the remote, though as with the regular Transfer lever it can also be direct-mounted to a Shimano or SRAM brake using the relevant hardware.

Flow’s Early Verdict

It’s early days with the Fox Transfer Neo dropper post, but given the key internals are shared with the regular Transfer our expectations are high when it comes to overall durability. The way the app is able to track usage is also a great addition that will help riders stick to the proper service intervals.

As expected, the price is very high. It’s on par with the Reverb AXS, though it is literally double the price of a cable-activated Transfer. That’ll be too big of a jump for many folks, but given how popular the Reverb AXS has been we expect there’ll be plenty of riders keen to get their hands on the new Transfer Neo. In our experience it’s the fastest and smoothest dropper money can buy, and we have nothing but praise for the excellent lever ergonomics.